Improvement in car-coupling tools



o. H. MQOARTHYIXL T. J. OSBORNL Gar-Coupling Tool.

No. 214,573. Patented April 22,1879.

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others who couple cars, and the frequency of UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. MCCARTHY AND THOMAS J. OSBORN, OF LA FORTE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLING TOOLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,573, dated April 22, 1879; application filed March 13, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CI-IARLEs H. MoCAR- THY and THOMAS J. OSBORN, of La Portc, in the county of La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Device or Tool for Coupling and Uneoupling Railroad-Cars, called a Coupling-Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, is shown, at Figure 1, a perspective view of the device, and at Fig. 2 a view showing the same slightly modified as to the form of the handle.

In the said drawings, A represents a metal shank, divided into two spring prongs or blades, A A, which are, near their extremities, bent to form a cavity, B, between the blades, and beyond this approach each other to form a throat, C, and still farther beyond recurve outward to form a wedge shaped mouth, D.

At Fig. 1, E is a common wooden handle; or, instead of this wooden handle, the shank may be bent back, as at E, Fig. 2, to produce a handle and hook, by which the implement may be swung from the belt or garments of the user.

The danger to brakemen, switchmen, and

accident to these unfortunate people by being caught and crushed or maimed by the bumpers, coupling-heads, or other parts of cars in the act of coupling or uncoupling, is too well known to require comment. This danger is, in great measure, due to the fact that the person exposed to it must stand between the cars to guide the link, or to remove or hold the pin, with his-hand.

The purpose of the present device is a tool or implement by which the users arm is, in effect, so to speak, lengthened'to a degree sufficient to enable him to do allthe acts necessary to the coupling or uncoupling without necessitating the placing of himself or any part of his person in a dangerous position.

"With this device, as will be readily understood, a link may be lifted and guided either by grasping it with the self-operating springja-ws or by its resting on the outside of said jaws, and a coupling-pin may be lifted from the ground and inserted or withdrawn without approachin g the body or the hand within dangerous proximity.

The spring-jaws are perfectly self operating-that is to say, to pick up, for instance, a coupling-pin, it is only necessary to press the wedge-shaped mouth sharply against the pin to cause the jaws to open, and, the pin having passed into the cavity, the spring of the blades causes them to grasp and hold the article within the cavity.

Having described our invention, we claim 1. The implement for coupling and uncoupling cars, handling links, coupling-pins, &c.,

consisting of a pair of blades or jaws held together or nearly together by spring-pressure, and having a wedge-shaped mouth at their outer extremity, and next to that a cavity to receive the article to be held, and being further provided with a shank or extension to lengthen the implementand afford a grasp for the hand, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in an implement for coupling and uncoupling ears and handling links and coupling-pins, of the shank A, extended to afford a handgrasp, so that the spring of the blades is not interfered with by the hand, nor the hand inconvenienced by the spring-blades, the spring-blades A A, having cavity B, throat C, and wedge-shaped mouth D, substantially as specified.

CHARLES H. MCCARTHY. THOMAS J. OSBORN.

Witnesses: I

DAVID J. WILE, ANDREW L. USBORN, Jr. 

